East Coast Park
The East Coast Park (Chinese: 东海岸公园; Taman Pantai Timur; Tamil: கிழக்கு கடற்கரை பூங்கா) is a beach park encompassing the planning areas of Marine Parade, Bedok and Tampines, along the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, when the government completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katong which extends from Changi to Kallang. It serves various seaside communities such as Kallang, Marine Parade and Bedok. The 185 hectare East Coast Park is the largest park in Singapore, and is built entirely on reclaimed land with a man-made beach, where swimming is possible. The beach is protected by breakwaters. The park is a popular place for people to relax and unwind. The park has barbecue pits, chalets, food centres and amenities for various sports activities. Visitors can fish at Bedok Jetty (Area F). A cycling and inline skating track runs along the perimeter of the park, which measures over 15 km long. It is connected to Changi Beach Park by the Coastal Park Connector Network, an 8 km park connector running along Changi Coast Road. Overnight camping is permitted in East Coast Park, at Areas D and G. A Camping Permit is required and can be obtained from the National Parks website. Attractions * Goldkist Beach Resort(Close in 2016) * East Coast Seafood Centre (formerly UDMC) * LilliPutt (Closed for redevelopment in late 2016) * National Sailing Centre * PA WaterVenture * Ski360° Cable Ski (Closed in 2015) * Outward Bound Singapore * Marine Cove * Xtreme Skatepark @ East Coast * Bedok Jetty * Parkland Green * PCN Pitstops * Siglap Canal * Mana Mana Beach Club * Shrimp Fishing * Sports Planet East Coast Futsal * Big Splash (Closed for redevelopment in late 2016) * Raintree Cove (Closed for redevelopment in Feb 2017) * East Coast Lagoon Food Village * Sunset Bay * Road Safety Community Park * Bougainvillea Garden LilliPutt Indoor Mini Golf LilliPutt Indoor Mini Golf is Singapore's first themed indoor mini golf course and has facilities within the Playground at Big Splash complex on East Coast. (This area close in 2016 because of redevelopment) LilliPutt – meaning the little land of golf - features a creation of miniatures of well-known Singapore landmarks around an 18-hole indoor mini golf course, each of them fitted with visual animation and sound effects. These include an MRT train that moves a distance of three metres when the golf ball enters the carriage, a ball putted through the Haw Par Villa hole that “lights up” the eyes of the dragon, and a mini cable car that transports the golf ball to Sentosa Island where there is a musical fountain. Goldkist Beach Resort Goldkist Beach resort has permanently ceased operations. This chalet resort was originally owned by Costa Sands Resort of NTUC Club, but ceased operations on 3 January 2006 when its 30-year lease expired. Island Resort took over the site and started operations from 1 March 2007. The resort was then mostly renovated and re-branded Goldkist Beach Resort. It had 195 single and double-story units. Ski360° Cable Ski The East Coast Lagoon underwent renovation in 2005 under the Singapore Sports Council's plan to build a whitewater sports stadium at East Coast Park. Singapore's first Cable Ski Park, Ski360°, opened at the refurbished East Coast Lagoon in January 2006. It was closed in 2015. National Sailing Centre The National Sailing Centre, run by the Singapore Sailing Federation, conducts activities such as sailing and wind surfing. East Coast Lagoon Food Centre The East Coast Lagoon Food Centre opened in 1977, and is a popular hawker centre among locals and tourists. In late 2013, the hawker centre was upgraded to give it a newer and fresher look, with new features. East Coast Seafood Centre The East Coast Seafood Centre was opened at the same time as the East Coast Park, with eight restaurants serving seafood. Its initial name was UDMC Seafood Centre, which was later changed in 2000 to its current name. Popularized for housing several major local seafood restaurants, the seafood centre serves local favourites such as chilli crab, black pepper crab and mee goreng. In 2005, the Seafood Centre was upgraded to give it a modernised look, and better facilities. Many of the features were revamped, and a number of old tenants vacated for new tenants to take their place. The Seafood Centre has become a popular dining spot for tourists and locals alike, with many of the establishments being fully booked on most evenings. Given that most of the dining tables are placed outdoors, diners are able to dine while enjoying the sea breeze and sights of the numerous ships anchored in the Singapore Strait. Marine Cove Marine Cove (formerly known as the East Coast Recreation Centre), is a building complex in Area C at East Coast Park where in the past, many cafés, restaurants, and bars were located. It also used to have a bowling alley and a billiards saloon. There is a McDonald's restaurant in Marine Cove, opened in the 1980s. It featured both a drive-thru and a "skate-thru" counter. It was closed in March 2012 for the area's redevelopment. The new Marine Cove featuring a greater variety of dining options and a 3,500sqm children's playground at the redeveloped facility, reopened on 28 June 2016. Xtreme Skatepark at East Coast The Xtreme Skatepark at East Coast is the first skate park in Singapore built in accordance to international competition standards, allowing extreme sports enthusiasts within Singapore, and from around the region, the opportunity to display their skills. Jointly developed by both National Parks board and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the skate park promises to provide an avenue for both professionals and beginners alike the experience of enjoying extreme sports suited to their skill levels. The skate park is separated into three areas: Streetcourse This section of the Skatepark caters to intermediate and advanced skaters and bikers, consisting of street obstacles such as stairs, handrails, ledges and gaps. Combo Bowl This section is built for intermediate to advanced level skaters and bikers. The layout, featuring different depths, corners, a spine and a bank wall, allows riders/skaters to traverse continuously around the sections of the bowl. Vertical Bowl This 3.6m area is a challenging bowl for advanced skaters/bikers, containing a channel with different corners. Bedok Jetty Bedok Jetty is the longest fishing jetty (250 m) in Singapore. It is located in Area F of East Coast Park. It is the most popular jetty for fishing in Singapore, but it is also frequented by cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers or park visitors since it is a part of East Coast Park. Bedok Jetty was originally built by a local businessman Mr Yap Swee Hong at a cost of $1.5m in 1966. He did this to facilitate the import of scrap metal from the Americans who were engaged in the Vietnam war at the time. It was built in the reclaimed land of East Coast under the East Coast reclamation. It was used by Singapore Armed Forces in 1975 to receive the refugees after the surrender of Saigon to the North Vietnamese forces. An SAF Field Hospital was deployed to Bedok Jetty to provide first aid and other essential medical services to all Singapore bound refugee boats fleeing South Vietnam following the Fall of Saigon in 1975. The area is also used temporarily for military training exercises from 2010 to 2017 before it was acquired for redevelopments in Bayshore area. Siglap Canal Located near Area C4, a new lawn and lookout deck in East Coast Park was opened to provide visitors with an additional area for recreational activities as well as a community space. The enhancements were carried out with drainage upgrading for a 230m section of the Siglap Canal to the sea. Parkland Green Parkland Green is a development at Area C1 features new dining and recreation retail outlets. It features a recreational lawn for visitors to have picnics and enjoy the seaview. Transportation The park is accessible by East Coast Park Service Road with numerous exits along the East Coast Parkway. The place provides ample parking space with many carparks situated along various areas of the park. SBS Bus Service 401 stops along the East Coast Service Road from Bedok Bus Interchange during weekends and public holidays. Underpasses link the park to the nearby Marine Parade housing estate. Competition Venue for Singapore 2010: The First Youth Olympic Games Sport Triathlons have been held in East Coast Park since the mid-2000s till today. For example, the popular OSIM triathlon and Tri-factor race series offer triathletes the option of taking part in the sprint and olympic distance categories. For the olympic distance, racers compete in a 1.5 km swim in the sea in Area E just next to the lagoon. This is 2 laps of 750m, marked by floating buoys. They then transition to the bicycle leg of the race at Angsana Green, a huge empty field just opposite the swim area. From Angsana Green, it is a 40 km cycle consisting of several laps between the transition area and the National Sailing Centre along the East Coast Service Road and the cycle track of the park. The final leg of the race will begin at the transition area, consisting of a 10 km run from Area E towards Area C. The run consists of 2 laps of 5 km and requires racers to run the length of Area D several times. Along the way, race marshals and drink stations mark the route.First Youth Olympic Games: East Coast Park Location Less than one-kilometre away from the National Sailing Centre on the south-eastern part of Singapore, the venue for triathlon is situated along the East Coast Park, Singapore’s largest and most popular public beach and park. The area offers a wide range of facilities – food, recreation, entertainment and sports. See also *List of Parks in Singapore References External links *National Parks Board, Singapore *East Coast Park Category:General articles